Projects

"The Barbara"

It’s not yet daybreak as Captain Salva helms the Barbara out of the Port of Valencia and into the dark Mediterranean while music from nearby clubs still pulses in the distance as the long Spanish night finally fades away.

The Barbara is one of the smaller fishing vessels that berth there, and one of the few lobster boats. Salva mans the boat with only his first mate, Oscar.

During their 10 hours at sea, they visit the various nets they scattered on the 20 square nautical miles they farm. While they aim to catch lobsters, the nets often bring up other sea creatures, from fish to stingrays to starfish.

Salva and Oscar have developed a strong relationship over their 15 years of working together, and they work efficiently and in tight step to raise and drop the nets and sort through the day’s catch. All the while, they joke and tease each other as only two seasoned sailors can.

After a full day the men return to port and cart their haul to the fish auction at the end of the dock, where merchants from markets, restaurants and distributors eagerly await. After the auction, Salva and Oscar divide the earnings, clean the boat and head home, prepared to repeat the process the next day.

“The Barbara" sails out into the Mediterranean Sea before the sun rises. The boat is operated by "Captain Salva" and his first mate, Oscar, and primarily catches lobsters. The two leave the port before 5 a.m. every morning, and return from the sea in the late afternoon. Upon returning, the two sort the day’s catch and take it to the local auction to sell to merchants.

Salvador, who goes by “Captain Slava,” checks the GPS as he sails out into the Mediterranean Sea near Valencia, Spain early Tuesday morning. Captain Salva usually sails his boat, “The Barbara,” 20-30 nautical miles from the shore, before he starts to fish. While larger fishing boats go further out, Captain Salva works closer to the coast in order to catch lobsters, and save time traveling.

First mate Oscar drinks a cup of horchata as “The Barbara” sails out to the day’s fishing spot. He has a set of 3-year old twin boys at home, and as a result, is constantly tired. The horchata, which is a Valencian speciality drink made from ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice and barley, helps Oscar stay awake and get to work early in the mornings.

Captain Salva reels in the first catch of the day, as the sun begins to rise Tuesday morning. Unlike the larger fishing boats and trawlers, Captain Salva leaves his nets attached to buoys over night, and collects them the next day. This method gives more time for lobsters to become caught in the nets.

Oscar gives a satisfied grin as he holds up a fish they caught, as Captain Salva laughs to himself and continues reeling in the net. The two are very jovial with each other, and often pass the time telling jokes and messing around with each other. They make sure to find the perfect balance of work and play while at sea.

Oscar, the first mate of The Barbara, sorts the nets and tosses them into piles in the back of the boat, as Captain Salva reels them in. The nets are thousands of feet long, so the crew needs to take special of the nets to make sure they don't become tangled and unusable.

Captain Salva untangles the first lobster of the day from the net Tuesday morning. Lobsters this size are not rare in these parts of the Mediterranean, yet yield a large profit in the market. The Barbara works mainly to catch lobsters, thought there is a fair amount of bycatch, which is unintentionally caught as the nets sit in the water. Captain Salva makes sure to not waste these fish. In order to maximize his profits, Captain Salva utilizes the fish caught in his net by selling them at the local fish auction.

First mate Oscar drops the anchor of the last net before the Barbara returns to port for the day. The crew leaves the net attached to buoys overnight, which allows for lobsters and other deep-sea creatures to become trapped.